Chapter 11
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: Master of the Tower (3)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I couldn’t figure out how to explain that he couldn’t see me.
[Well, I am in front of you….]
“…”
[Don't look so grim. I don't think you can see me.]
“Then just make yourself visible.”
[If I could do that, do you think I'd be in this situation?]
Even as we spoke, I was diligently waving my hand in front of his face.
But even with me right there, his eyes seemed to be staring into empty space.
I considered trying to touch his hand again, like before, but quickly decided against it.
I didn't want any misunderstandings, and it was obvious it wouldn't work anyway. Besides, he seemed to have just calmed down, and I had no confidence I could soothe him if he started freaking out about some mysterious sensation again.
“You’re not going to kill me or anything, are you?”
[Right. Not only is there no reason to, but it also seems I can't lay a hand on you either.]
At my answer, he let out a sigh, as if relieved.
“Are you a ghost?”
[Who knows.]
I was human, but I didn't think it was necessary to explain that to him.
My soul might be a god's, but its core nature, its memories, and the body of Kang Han-gyeol—they were all 100% human.
At my response, he darted his eyes around, as if unsure what to say.
He grimaced, the pain from his wounds seemingly hitting him with a delay.
I couldn't tell about the other injuries, but the bite on his shoulder from the goblin looked quite severe.
‘If left alone, it could get infected.’
Naturally, a monster's immune system is different from a human's, so the chance of contracting a disease was high.
I'd been bitten by a goblin in the past, too. Luckily, a fruit I'd mindlessly chewed on back then also happened to be a medicinal herb, and it saved my life.
It might be meddling, but for now, I didn't want to let him die.
He reminded me of my past self.
At the same time, it was guilt over losing those who were, however briefly, my teammates.
As I wondered how I could help him while he gasped for breath, I discovered an unexpected function.
[Gift]
- You can give a gift to the target.
- However, giving a gift consumes the target's Contribution Points, and you cannot give a gift exceeding their Contribution Points.
- Giftable Target: Yoo Ji-han
- Giftable Items: Small Healing Potion (12), Small Mana Potion (30), Painkiller (5)
[Is your name Yoo Ji-han, by any chance?]
At my question, Ji-han's eyes widened as if to ask how I knew.
“A ghost…”
[I told you I'm not.]
I had a hunch since he was speaking Korean, but I was delighted to find out he was actually Korean.
I selected [Yoo Ji-han] as the gift recipient.
[Yoo Ji-han]
Contribution Points: 20
I chose one small healing potion and the painkillers.
[Consuming 18 Contribution Points to gift a small healing potion and painkillers to ‘Yoo Ji-han’.]
[You have acquired 18 Contribution Points.]
“What? What’s happening?”
Seeing Ji-han's reaction, it seemed the gift notification had gone through successfully.
Unable to see me, Ji-han looked around in confusion at the sudden notification.
Jeez, I'm not over there.
‘He must not know how to check it.’
Giving the gift was one thing, but I had no way of knowing how his system worked.
[Hey, can you open something like a status window or an item window?]
“What? Status window? Item window? What kind of game-like nonsense is that...? Wait a minute, I think those bastards who pushed me in here said something like that too…”
[Whatever it is, just open it.]
“How do I open it?”
[Focus your mind and visualize something appearing in front of your eyes.]
Yoo Ji-han pressed his lips together.
His expression seemed to say, ‘Are you serious right now?’
When I remained silent, Yoo Ji-han reluctantly did as he was told.
“What is this...? There’s something in a place that looks like an item window…”
When Ji-han touched the item window, a healing potion and painkillers appeared in his hand.
“Did you gift this?”
[Something like that? More importantly, hurry up and take it. You might actually die.]
To be precise, it used Yoo Ji-han's Contribution Points, so it was a bit of a stretch to say I did it, but explaining all that was a hassle, so I just fudged the details.
Even though I'd given him the potion and painkillers, Yoo Ji-han just held them in his hand for a while without moving.
Ji-han looked up and spoke.
“I think it’d be better to just—ugh, die like this.”
Ji-han's gaze shifted to the dead goblin's corpse.
He mustered the courage to look, but squeezed his eyes shut and turned away in less than a few seconds.
I sat down on the floor between Yoo Ji-han and the goblin.
“Huh? The corpse is gone.”
[What are you talking about? The corpse is right behind me.]
I replied, turning slightly to glance at the corpse, but Yoo Ji-han only grew more flustered.
Dragging his injured body, Yoo Ji-han got up, went behind me, then came back to his spot with another frown.
I'm telling you, the corpse is there.
“I can’t see it when I sit here. What’s going on?”
[Maybe it's because I'm sitting between you and it.]
It seemed my form was invisible, but not completely transparent.
My guess was that instead of the goblin, Yoo Ji-han was likely seeing a normal view of the surroundings.
[If you don't take that, I'm taking it back.]
“Who gives something just to take it back?”
[You said you were going to die. What does a dead man need medicine for?]
“I said it would be better to die, not that I was going to die.”
[Going through puberty?]
Yoo Ji-han continued to fiddle with the potion and painkillers I had given him.
I had no idea why he was being so stubborn.
‘Then again, I was just as stubborn.’
His first kill.
A world where everything was unfamiliar.
I could understand Yoo Ji-han's feeling that it might be better to die, even when there was a chance to live.
[It sucks, doesn't it?]
“What did you say?”
[You don't know why this is happening to you, you don't know what you did wrong. And even if you try to live, you don't know if you'll survive.]
At my words, Yoo Ji-han gave a solemn nod.
Jeez, I told you I'm not over there.
[But live anyway. Isn't it a waste to die like this?]
“What’s a waste?”
[Whatever it is. At your age, you must have at least one thing you worked hard to achieve. Thinking of all you've done, it’s a waste to die here. You don't have anything like that?]
After pondering my question for a long while, Yoo Ji-han answered.
“I do. I have something.”
[What is it?]
“I was so close to my promotion in League.”
I never expected him to bring up League of Legends.
As I fell silent, Yoo Ji-han muttered.
“Right, what would you know about it.”
I felt like he was looking down on me and was about to say something, but then he spoke again.
“Though I guess I'm not exactly normal either, chatting with some guy I can only hear but can't see.”
[I keep telling you I'm right in front of you.]
“What do you want me to do about not being able to see you? Still, seeing as the goblin corpse is hidden, I guess I know there's *something* in front of me. Ugh…”
Yoo Ji-han clutched his throbbing shoulder.
Ji-han was debating whether or not to drink the potion in his hand.
[Drink it. Survive. You’ll probably force yourself to drink it in about thirty minutes even if I don't say anything. There's no point in being stubborn.]
“What do I do if I survive?”
[You can do anything. Go back to your original world and try for that promotion again, or if not that, find the bastards who did this to you and punch them in the face.]
Yoo Ji-han gripped the potion bottle tightly.
I had a mountain of questions for him.
Like why Yoo Ji-han, a Korean, was here, and what on earth had happened in this tower.
“Hey, who are you, anyw—.”
[A dimensional rift is occurring.]
Before Ji-han could finish his sentence, the space around me wavered.
[You have acquired administrator authority for the 1st Floor Lobby.]
[Teleporting to the lobby.]
“Teleporting at a time like this.”
I must have wasted too much time talking.
I looked around the place called the lobby. Inside a large, circular space was a small village.
It looked like no one had lived there for quite some time, as every single house was practically a ruin.
When I lightly touched a wooden building, the entire structure came crashing down.
“Cough, cough... Ugh. What kind of lobby is this?”
If they were going to give me administrator authority, they could at least give me all of it.
In the center of the lobby was a portal inscribed with a large magic circle.
It was made of stone, making it stand out among the wooden buildings.
When I placed my hand on the structure, information appeared.
[Portal]
A portal that allows you to challenge the Tower of Trials.
“Just as I thought.”
My prediction was correct. After stepping down from the portal, I checked my status window again.
[Dimension Management]
Name: Tower of Trials
Description: An ownerless dimension abandoned in the dimensional trash heap. What kind of insane god would want a dimension like this?
Dimension Conquest Rate: 1%
Record (+More)
1st Floor: Cleared the goblin village. Due to a dimensional distortion, I met a Korean who had entered the tower in the past. It seems he couldn't see me. He looked like an ordinary high school student, but the wound from the goblin was quite severe. I gifted him some medicine for now. I don't know what will happen to him. I hope he's alive the next time we meet.
The record was written automatically, as if reflecting my own thoughts. Well, it wasn't wrong.
There was one more change.
‘The Dimension Conquest Rate went up by 1%.’
It was easy to conclude that it was 1% per floor.
I might gain administrator authority as I ascend the tower, but this meant I had to clear a floor at least once to get it.
I really had a long way to go.
[Would you like to leave the Tower of Trials? You can return at any time after leaving.]
[Leaving the Tower of Trials.]
‘I need to check what the outside world is like.’
After pressing the confirm button in the status window, I closed my eyes and opened them again.
“You have got to be kidding me.”
What greeted me was none other than a massive canyon.
It was like a scene out of the middle of the Grand Canyon.
I looked a bit higher up, having nearly plummeted after taking a thoughtless step.
I could see Hunters down below.
“Over here! There’s someone here!”
“What was that...? Hey! We found him!”
The Hunters who spotted me by craning their necks began to move busily.
* * *
Korea Hunter Association.
Two middle-aged men were questioning me.
“So, you cleared the dungeon, and were suddenly transported to the next one, is that right?”
“Yes.”
“You must have had party members. Didn't you see them?”
“Didn't the others come over with me?”
“I'm sorry to say this, but you were the only one found in the dungeon.”
Ah, what bad luck.
When I remained silent, the two men started looking at me with open suspicion.
I put on my best act of looking pitiful.
“Ah... But I—I really don't know anything! Ahh, I thought I'd finally be able to work as a Hunter... What is happening? Does this mean... my party members are all dead? How could this... Is something like this even possible?”